The North American Aviation Defense Command said on Wednesday that the first formation of the Russian aircraft consisted of two bombers accompanied by two fighter jets and was supported by an early warning and control aircraft from the air.
The second formation consisted of two Russian bombers supported by another airborne early warning and control aircraft. The Russian military aircraft reached 32 nautical miles of the Alaska coast, but remained in the international airspace and never entered the US-dominated airspace.
“These are important Russian formations in more than one place,” a US defense official said in the last two interventions. The United States considers that some of the Russian flights are only educational missions. However, the official may be a sign that Moscow is determined to keep up with American flights in the Russian coastal areas.
Tuesday’s event follows a similar incident last Wednesday, and this year is the eighth incident in which Russian aircraft entered the Canadian or Alaska Air Defense Identification Zones.
